


Stubborn Love

by dementedchris



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Jealousy, Mild Language, Spoilers, Wilde Hopps
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-28
Updated: 2016-03-09
Packaged: 2018-05-23 18:02:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6125305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dementedchris/pseuds/dementedchris
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Contrary to popular belief, remorse comes to Nicholas Wilde. He just doesn’t pay enough attention to it. (Or what happens when Nick realizes he's not the only fox in Judy's life.)</p><p>Contains spoilers; please read at your own risk.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Regret Smells Like Blueberry Pie

Contrary to popular belief, remorse comes to Nicholas Wilde. He just doesn’t pay enough attention to it.

_Usually._

Case in point: he regrets answering Carrots’ phone. The next time the dumb bunny is out on meter maid duties because Chief Bogo’s not in the mood for her creative reasoning, he’s going to just let her phone ring. Clawhauser or whoever’s manning reception at the moment ought to know she’s not in the precinct. But Nick’s in the middle of a shitload of paperwork, there’s a heated argument between Sergeant Howler and vice, and sure, that stupid ringing is not enough to drown out a howler monkey berating an entire unit on the merits of subtlety, but at least he can do something about _this._

But maybe the sergeant’s just too loud or Clawhauser is too excited, because he doesn’t hear Nick’s “What?” and instead launches into his news. “Judy! There’s a fox here to see you! A real fox, though you might say he’s pretty foxy. Am I allowed to say that? That’s not a violation of the microagression memo they released last month, is it? Oh gosh, it totally is, please don't tell anyone. Anyway, this guy says he knows you’re supposed to meet for dinner but he couldn’t wait but you weren’t picking up so can you please come to the lobby—”

And then there it was. Remorse. Over picking up the receiver.

Nick slams the phone down. Nope, not remorse. It’s the noise, really. Who can think in this jungle?

So maybe he’s not really done with work but maybe a quick visit to the lobby was going to take the growl off his lips. He’s not checking out the competition or anything. Of course not.

 

 

“—never turns out this way,” Clawhauser is saying cheerfully. The traitor. 

The other guy looks a little bigger than Nick but Nick is better-looking and better-dressed (not right now, of course, but don’t the ladies love a man in uniform?), or so he thinks. But why hasn’t Carrots mentioned a fox friend before? And dinner? With this plaid-wearing, aw-shucksing, pie-smelling—

“Nick! Nick, there you are!” Clawhauser calls out, waving an enthusiastic hand in the air. There is an open box of blueberry pie in front of him, already missing a slice. From the dribble of blue on the cheetah's collar, Nick can bet where it has gone. “Is Judy with you?”

“Unfortunately, our Judy’s currently preoccupied,” Nick says smoothly. “She turns to me with those big purple eyes of hers and says, ‘Nick, honey, I can’t be bothered by unimportant stuff today, so can you please get rid of unwanted visitors for me?’ And you know it’s hard to resist that. Can you hold off all her calls, buddy?” Then, as if he has only caught sight of the other fox now, he clamps a hand to his mouth. “Oh, I’m sorry, am I interrupting? Name’s Wilde. Officer Wilde.” He stretches out a hand.

The other fox looks confused but shakes it nonetheless. “Gideon Grey. You a friend of Judy's? Me and Officer Judy Hopps go way back. We made plans for tonight—”

What’s the difference between a smile and a snarl? Nick knows. He has made a living out of perfecting the smarmy grin he reserves for marks and lowlifes but today, the snarl is seriously winning out. He keeps it in check with a cough. “Nope, I’m sorry, I don’t think she’s even mentioned you before. A _friend_ , you say? I'm actually her _partner_." He drops his voice at the word. Slick, Nick. "I’ll be sure to tell her you dropped by but she’s going to have to cancel tonight, Mr. Grey. We’re working to apprehend a suspect on a very important case that’s uh… of primary… uh, importance.”

Gideon’s smile droops. “Well, I’m only in town for a coupla days but I don’t want to be a bother if she’s busy. Maybe I should just call her to cancel—”

“Not a good idea,” Nick jumps in. “She broke her phone beaning the suspect in the head and it’s broken into a million pieces.” 

“That suspect you said you’re still working to catch?” 

“It was another suspect on another case.”

“Well, maybe she can just call me when she’s free. I’ve got the hotel number here...”

“Actually, she’s banned from coming near a phone until the case is resolved.”

“But I thought you already caught that suspect? Wait, I’m sorry, are you even allowed to talk about this to a civilian?”

“Nicholas B. Wilde! What are you doing?”

Second time in the day that remorse has caught up to him, but this time in the form of a tiny bunny with purple fire in her eyes.

Nick’s eyebrow starts twitching madly. “Whiskers! You know you’re not allowed down here when we’re working on that case?” he stammers, but even he knows when to give up the ghost.

Carrots just rolls her eyes. “The case of the missing traffic division that Chief Bogo manages to trot out whenever he wants to discipline me?” But she’s already walking over to that other fox, ignoring Nick.

“Judy!” Gideon greets her. “Ain’t you a sight for sore eyes! Lemme tell you, no one’s ever said Zootopia’s going to be this crazy.”

“I’m just glad you made it here in one piece, Gideon.” Carrots smiles up at him shyly. His Carrots? _Shy?_ “I’ve actually gotten the rest of today and tomorrow off, so I can show you around.”

Two days off? From the girl who traded shifts with everyone so she could work holidays? The girl who went on a 48-hour stakeout and submitted her report before 10 am while he could barely hold on to his sunglasses? The girl that the night watch thought was part of the night watch because she clocked out at one in the morning? All those times Nick had asked her to take a rest, she brushes him off and now she’s giving this guy two whole days of her time?

Gideon licks his lips like only a fox can, and just like that, Nick sidles up to Judy. He knows that look. He knows she can take care of herself but he’s not going to let his partner go off with an unknown Pred. Too bad she doesn’t see it that way, because she glares at him and steps even closer to this Gideon guy.

“Gee, Judy, that’s great,” Gideon says. “We’ve got a lot of catching up to do. I’ve got a care package from you folks and I baked you your favorite pie—“

“Whoops,” Clawhauser pipes up, evidence smeared all over his mouth and chin. 

Gideon laughs. “Awww, isn’t that the best compliment a baker can get? Don’t worry, Judy, I’ll bake you something special if I can get to a kitchen.”

Carrots grins. “You’ve got a deal, Gideon.”

Nick tries one last-ditch attempt. “Are you sure this is wise, Carrots?”

She looks at him like he’s crazy. “Nick, you’re acting a little strange today. Maybe you should get the day off, too.” Then she touches Gideon’s sleeve. “Let’s go.”

Nick watches them leave, his mouth dry. What just happened? Did Carrots just leave him for another guy? And not just another guy, a fox! Isn’t Nick supposed to be the only fox she trusts implicitly? But there they are, walking away and getting smaller by the minute, Judy Hopps of the purple eyes and the soft fur and her pie-baking date. 

He doesn’t need to think.

Yup. He needs the day off, too. Remorse be damned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own anything.
> 
> So I'm not quite sure how this happened, only that I couldn't help but ship Wilde Hopps after watching Zootopia. What are the chances that you're here for the same reason? :)
> 
> My headcanon is that since it's from Nick's POV, he calls her by one of his many nicknames. Who knows, I just might switch to plain Judy after a fashion.


	2. And the Trumpets, They Go

Nick doesn’t trust foxes. Granted, he doesn’t trust anyone, but foxes most of all. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t put his faith in anything else. He trusts intentions and behavior patterns: He trusts that Finnick will always look out for number one. He trusts that a mark won’t suddenly wake up with a burning desire to change his schedule and sidestep all his carefully-laid plans. 

(Maybe he is starting to trust _some_ one now, but that’s beside the point.)

The point is, he doesn’t trust Gideon Grey, who is probably still with his partner right now while Nick is stuck at the precinct.

It’s just as well that Chief Bogo vehemently denies him the rest of the afternoon off. He tries to make the most out of the situation by digging up Gideon Grey’s records. The other fox is from the same small town Judy is from, the same middle school, the same high school, this history of sameness that is so boring and uninteresting to him that his mind forgets the details the second his eyes skim over them. But what gets his temperature rising is Grey’s list of juvenile misdemeanors like vandalism and harassment—frankly, Nick is surprised that Carrots hasn’t noticed that she’s dating a douche, but then again, Carrots always likes to think the best of anyone.

(He really ought to have a serious conversation with her.)

It takes all of Nick’s willpower—and Chief Bogo’s vigilant stares—to keep him glued to his desk instead of storming out. A fox with a curious mind is a dangerous thing; a fox with an imagination… that could shut the whole of Zootopia down.

To distract himself, he hounds her with text messages: _Whiskers, I’m starting on a pool on how soon your date lands you in jail. Care to throw your partner a bone? I’ll split the pot._

And: _So Gazelle’s manager’s neighbor’s brother dropped by and now this place is Party Central!!!!!!! Bet you wish you were here._

And even a desperate: _Did I ever tell you about what the Mole said to the Donkey when they found themselves in a sticky situation?_

At least she replies to that one. _If I hear another molasses joke from you, I am REPORTING you for inappropriate behavior._

Finally. Nick licks his lips in satisfaction. _Don’t be cruel, Fluffy. I only care that you’re enjoying yourself on this fine day._

_I am. We’re about to head to dinner so can you please bother me some other time?_

Well. At least he has permission to bother her. That counts, right? 

Unfortunately, her message is the perfect fodder for his imagination. In all the time he’s known Officer Judy Hopps, he hasn’t seen her on a date. He has no idea where someone would take to impress her. Nick thinks he knows her better than anyone in the city, but their dinners are Chinese takeout and cold sandwiches and all these annoyingly neutral meals for Preds and Prey. Will this Gideon Grey take her to that salad place she has on speed dial? Will he impress her with a five-course meal at that fancy revolving restaurant on top of Giraffe Tower? Or will he cook her a dish that will remind her of Bunnyburrow and everything she never tells Nick that she misses and make her wish that she was anywhere but here in this city?

 _I’m feeling hungry, too. If that place is any good, I might swing by,_ he texts.

It gnaws at him that she doesn’t reply to that.

 

 

Now a fox with an imagination—and Nick Wilde has that in spades—has a full arsenal at his disposal. Before he even clocks out, he’s already got an old mate checking out Bunnyburrow yearbooks and Finnick watching Grey’s hotel. Finding out that Gideon has taken her to The Watering Hole is child’s play.

It’s not that he’s spying on her. Hopps is a grown rabbit; she knows how to take care of herself. She can do anything from knocking a rhino out to shutting City Hall down. She can hold her own against one slightly pudgy fox. 

Really, that’s not why Nick is sitting in a kitted-out surveillance van right outside the Hole.

He tells himself that it's because he wants to be absolutely certain that she's safe. He’s got a plan, too, one that involves an Elephant Marching Band and a well-timed accident and slipping the bug into Gideon’s pocket when he gets a second with him in the men’s room.

Or he could just ask her how her night is going, and the thought is strangely a thousand times scarier than Plan A.

Nick can see them through the window. Carrots has changed out of her uniform into a button-down that mirrors Gideon’s. Not exactly the height of fashion, but it doesn’t take much for Carrots to look cute and by the way the other fox was nodding and grinning at her, Gideon’s not complaining either. They look like a matched set, childhood sweethearts fresh off the bus and spending their first night in the city. No one at the Hole seems to mind that they’re a Fox and a Rabbit.

His phone beeps. _Hey, Mister, Ivory’s French horn got stuck in her trunk. She wants to call 911 and I have a curfew. You still need us?_

His paw hesitates over the keypad. He glances back at the Hole. Her back is to him but he doesn’t need to know that she’s having a good time. He sees the half-empty glass of beer, the casualness in her shoulders, the perk in her ears.

Nick Wilde trusts patterns.

_Nah. You can take off._

_Cool. We’ll drop by the station tomorrow after school to get our payment._ And before Nick can protest, the pick-up of high school elephants rushes by him, their raucous cheers sounding like a taunt to him.

He stares at his phone a beat longer, then calls. He sees her glance at it, as if thinking hard whether to give him the time of day, but she interrupts Gideon and answers by the third ring. Gideon sees it as an opportunity to excuse himself, disappearing towards the men’s room.

“Nick? Is everything okay?”

He lets out a breath that he doesn’t know he’s been holding. “You owe me for picking up your slack at work today, Carrots.”

She snorts. “You called me for that?”

“Not really. I called to tell you that if you wanted to treat me to a beer to thank me for my greatness, I’m free right now.”

She laughs. “You wish. I’m hanging up right now.”

“You... still with that old pal of yours?”

There is a small pause, so quick that it’s only thanks to his exceptional hearing that he catches the nervous throat clearing that punctuates it. “No,” she lies. “I’m actually just about to call it a night.”

His eyes narrow. “Really, Carrots? You seem to be in a pretty noisy place right now.”

“You know my neighbors,” she answers quickly. “Don't worry about it. I’ll catch you the day after next, okay?” Then she ends the call.

There are so many questions on the tip of his tongue, like _You all right there, Carrots?_ and _Is he treating you right?_ and _Why are you lying to me right now?_ but it’s none of his business. Judy has just made that very clear.

Nick has nothing to do but to trust her. That, and drive away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that escalated quickly! I thought it was going to be crack all the way, but Nick and I... we have these Thoughts. 
> 
> Thank you for all the kudos and the comments! I'm quite overwhelmed by the positive comments. I'm sorry that this took a bit longer than expected, but I hope it satisfies a part of your Wilde Hopps craving ;)


End file.
